The superior
by Toraky
Summary: Gumball's life couldn't be better. He's madly in love with his girlfriend Penny ans he'll dance with her at prom. Penny, meanwhile, shape-shifted into a beautiful creature and became famous after she saved a baby from a burning rainbow factory. How can all this go wrong? Well, the rescued "baby" is more than it seems.
1. The baby

The baby

 _Elmore General Hospital, Friday 11:00 pm._

It was a quiet Friday night at Elmore's General Hospital. All the patients were sleeping on their beds while the guards were checking their situation.

"11:05 pm everything is fine!" said a guard at the microphone. He was watching a panel of monitors that reflected the situation in the rooms with a sophisticated camera system.

"Roger!" said a guard in the hallway with his walkie-talkie.

Sometimes is hard to be a security guard, no one could tell when a patient needed help. However, that night everything looked quiet; every single patients was peacefully sleeping in their beds. The guard tried to relax itself: "Nothing can go wrong!" he thought.

Suddenly a little alarm started playing.

The guard woke up; the alarm was coming from the number 5 room of the intensive care unit.

From the monitor, the completely bandaged creature begun to move.

The guard spoke at the microphone.

"Number 5 came out of the coma!"

"Roger! I'll send some doctors!" said the other guard in the hallway.

In less than five minutes, two doctors and five guards arrived in the room number five.

"What's going on?" said a guard looking at the creature on the bed.

"Number 5 has started moving, it was motionless for days!" said a doctor.

"Who is this bandaged creature?" asked a second guard.

"We don't know, all we know it's a kid that survived in an explosion. In fact its body is covered by third-degree burns!" said a doctor.

"That's serious! Where are his parents?"

"We don't know! The child looks orphan, at least that's what the inspectors said! They didn't find any relative of this child!"

"nhfmfsffng…." Said the child from its bed, connected to an oxygen tube.

"Doctor, the child started to talk!" said another guard.

"Good, the child is slowly getting better!"

A doctor started to approach to the creature to hear better its words.

"Nodpfzfd…."

"Doctor, where you found the child?" said a guard.

"We didn't find it!" said the second doctor.

"It was saved and brought here, already bandaged, by a sweet and courageous little girl!"

"Amazing! By the way, what's the girl's name?"

The child talked again and, this time, its words sounded clear.

"P-p-penny…F-fitzgerald…..!"


	2. The date

The date

 _Watterson's house, Saturday 8:00 am._

"Breakfast's ready!" yelled Nicole.

Gumball Watterson woke up.

"Good morning world!" said happily.

"Good morning Anais!" said getting out of his bed.

"Good morning Darwin!" said knocking the water bowl of his brother.

Gumball arrived in the kitchen followed by his brother and his sister.

"Good morning kids!" said Richard while eating cereals and milk from a big bowl.

" 'morning dad, morning mom!" answered the blue cat taking a sit smiling.

"Good morning my dears, have some waffles for breakfast?" asked Nicole.

"I want waffles!" said Anais.

"Me too!" said Darwin.

"I'll take some cereals!" said Gumball taking a little bowl.

After filling the bowl with some cereal and some milk, he quickly started to consume his breakfast.

"Why in a hurry? There's something wrong?" asked Nicole.

"Yes, Gumball looks happier than ever!" said Anais.

"You're right!" said Darwin. In fact, everyone noticed that Gumball's tail was wagging.

"It's nothing…..well I finished!" said the little cat finishing his breakfast.

He rose from his chair and went upstairs.

"What's wrong with him?" said Nicole.

"I don't know!" said Darwin still waiting for his waffles.

Gumball returned in his room and turned on his Personal Computer.

When the PC load the interface, he connected to Elmore Plus.

Some users were online but Gumball's mind was set on a specific name;

-Penny Fitzgerald…..Offline-

The blue cat kept on his chair and waited. After something like ten minutes.

-Penny Fitzgerald…..Online-

Gumball opened a private chat with his girlfriend.

"Hi Penny!" he texted.

After two minutes, the answer arrived.

"Hi Gumball!"

"How are you today?" texted the blue cat.

"I'm fine, thanks, and you?"

"I'm fine, thank you!"

It was time for the big demand.

"Are you free today?" texted the blue cat.

"Yes, I'm free. Why?"

"Today is a beautiful day. Shall we go out for a date?"

"Where?"

"Just a walk at the park and a milkshake at the malt shop?"

"Okay, why not? Just give me the time to put some clothes on and I'll be with you!"

"Thanks Penny. See you later. Bye!"

"Bye!"

Penny's account went offline.

"Yes, yes, yes…this is the happiest day of my life!" said Gumball, his heart began to pound.

He started to sniff himself when he calmed down.

"Ghhh…..!"

Darwin arrived.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Sorry Darwin, there's no time to explain: I need a shower!"

Gumball rushed in the bathroom to take a shower.

He took off his panties and entered in the shower.

" _Scrub scrub scrub…._

 _I have a date!_

 _Scrub scrub scrub….._

 _I don't wanna be late!"_ he sang under the shower while passing his sponge all over his body.

After something like ten minutes, he was already out of the bathroom.

He turned in his chamber to get his clothes. Darwin was back to him.

"You smell divinely….." he said when his brother grabbed a pair of new panties.

"….I got it, it's another date with Penny…" Darwin watched his brother wearing a pair of pants with waistband.

"….right?"

"Yes yes yes…..that's right! Now begone!" said the blue cat putting his brown shirt.

The doorbell rang.

"She's here, she's here, she's here…." Gumball's heart was beating very fast.

Anais arrived.

"Has Gumball a new girlfriend?" said Anais to Darwin while his older brother rushed at the door.

"No! It's always Penny!" answered Darwin.

"That's odd, he dated with Penny many times, but he's acting like he never did!" said Anais.

"Yup! I wonder what's different this time!"

Gumball took a deep breath and opened the door.

A beautiful, anthropomorphic, antlered little doe with sweet eyes, a cute nose and with some red freckles appeared before him.

She was wearing a pair of tennis shoes accompanied with knee socks, a cute orange skirt and a white shirt. At her wrists she had a pair of wristbands.

"Hi Gumball!" said the doe.

Gumball's heart was still beating hard.

"H-hi Penny!" answered the blue cat hugging her.

With those clothes, Penny looked prettier than ever.

"Mom, I'm leaving. I have a date with Penny!"

"All right, but remember to return before lunch. Understood?" said Nicole approaching at the opened door.

"Yes, I'll be in time! Bye mom!"

"Bye Gumball, bye Penny!"

"Bye Mrs. Watterson!" said Penny and Nicole closed the door.


	3. The call

The call

"You smell good!" said Penny.

"It's the new nettle shampoo which I keep for the special events. So, wanna go to the park?"

"Of course!"

Gumball and Penny went to the park. They sat on the bench and they started to feed the pigeons with a bag of breadcrumbs purchased at the entrance.

"Hi Penny!" said a voice.

Gumball turned his head to see who's talking; it was Carrie.

"Hi!" said Penny and Carrie left the two lovebirds alone.

After some minutes, they ran out of breadcrumbs.

"Shall we go at the malt shop?" asked Gumball when the pigeons flew away.

"Why not?" said Penny, and they went at the malt shop holding each other hand; it was a nice experience for Watterson.

Along the way, many other elmorians gave a salute to Penny.

"It's incredible to see how much you became popular!" said Watterson when they arrived at the malt shop.

Most of the Elmore Junior high were inside, also most of their classmates.

"Let's take a sit!" said Gumball.

They sat in the only empty seat.

"Hi Penny!" said a voice; it was Wasaby.

"Hi!" answered Penny.

"Hi Penny!" said this time Tobias, the same did also Rachel, Bobert, Teri, Banana Joe and all the other inside the malt shop.

"It's incredible to see how much I became popular in these past few days!" said Penny when she saluted the last one.

"Of course, you saved a baby from a burning rainbow factory. You're a heroine!" said the blue cat recalling the news he read on the local newspaper.

In fact, three days ago, there was an explosion inside a rainbow factory that caused a great fire. Many people evacuated but there was a baby left behind, trapped.

Penny was the only one who heard its heartbreaking wailing from a window. She braced herself and went inside to save him. She found the baby on the floor: it was pretty injured and unconscious. She wrapped the baby with some bandages found inside a medical cabinet. She managed to pull it off from the factory before it collapsed.

Penny brought the baby, still unconscious, to the hospital and the doctors quickly brought him at the intensive care unit. When Penny left the hospital, a group of journalists was at the entrance to interview her.

"And now all Elmore loves you for your heroic act!" said Gumball.

"Oh, come on, don't make me blush, let's have a milkshake!"

A waiter arrived.

"Can I take your…." The waiter looked surprised.

"Oh you are Penny Fitzgerald the local heroine! What an honor!"

"Yes, that's me, we'll take…..ugh…."

"A big cup of strawberry milkshake!" decided Gumball.

After a while, the waiter returned with a big cup of strawberry milkshake with two straws inside.

"There's a free cup of milkshake for you! It's a tribute!"

"Really? Thanks!" said the blue cat.

Gumball and Penny started to drink their milkshake; it was quite delicious.

When the waiter took the empty cup, Gumball stared Penny in her eyes; she was so beautiful.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Why are you staring at me? Why are you so quiet? Please, say something!"

Gumball had no idea on what to say.

"Well, what can I say? I love your new transformation!"

"Eh eh… I knew you'd say that!"

"I saw your new transformation exactly the same day of the rescue. I was passing by your home by night and I met you!"

"Yes I was turning back from the hospital!"

"I immediately loved your new shape, and you promised me a date!"

"Of course!"

"Penny…."

"Yes…?"

"I already said that more than once but…. Will you marry me?"

Penny smiled.

"Oh Gumball, you're so obsessed for the wedding!"

"I love you!" said the blue cat.

"I love you too!"

They were kissing but a noise interrupted the romantic scene.

It was a phone ringing.

Penny took her smartphone and answered.

"Hello? Yes, that's me! Yes…yes…..yes…! What? When? Why? Well, I guess so! All right, see you later!"

Penny closed the call.

"You have a smartphone?"

"Dad gave it to me! It's a present for my heroism!"

"What happened?" asked Gumball referring to the call.

"It was the hospital! Looks like the baby finally woke up!"

"That's a great news!"

"Yes but, looks like, the baby wants to see me?"

"Why?"

"I don't know!"

"So, are going to visit him?"

"Sure!"

"Can I come along?"

"Yes, why not?"

They left the malt shop and headed to the hospital.


	4. The imposter

The imposter

"Thank you so much for coming!" said the doctor at the entrance.

"No problem. Anyway, what's up with the baby?" said Penny.

"We don't know! It just woke up and started talking!"

"What he said? Why he wants to see me?"

"Well, the baby is not very talkative...he does nothing but repeating your name!"

"All right, take me to him!"

"Fine and…who's this guy?" said the doctor pointing the blue cat.

"It's just my boyfriend Gumball Watterson! Can he come along?"

"Well, yes!" said the doctor.

They entered in the hospital and took the elevator. The doctor pressed the "-1" and the elevator slowly descended.

When the elevator's doors opened, three guards appeared.

"Good morning doctor!" said one of them.

The guards brought the three boys at the door of the room number five.

"Why we need all these guards for a little baby?" asked Gumball.

"The child may be dangerous, so we hired some guards! We are not sure but, some investigators are speculating that it was the child the cause of the factory explosion!"

The doctor opened the door. Penny was about to enter but Gumball followed her.

"No Gumball, please, stay here!" said Penny kindly pushing him back.

"What?" said confused the blue cat.

"I just want to talk with the child in private! Just me and him!"

"Are you sure?" said the doctor.

"Yes, also no guards or cameras as well!"

"But Penny….?"

"Trust me Gumball, I know what I'm doing!"

"Well if you insist… but, please, call us if you are in trouble!" said the doctor.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" said and she entered in the room 5 all alone. Gumball couldn't not notice her little fluffy deer tail on her back while she was entering.

Inside the room, Penny saw the child slowly moving in his bed with various machines wired in its body: an electrocardiogram and a respirator.

The baby opened its little red eyes.

"…Penny…Fitzgerald….Penny…..Fitzgerald!"

The deer gave a closer look to the baby.

"Yes, it's me!"

"No…..no…..no….you wrong….." said the baby shaking its oversized head.

"…I'm Penny…..!" said while a tear ran all over her face.

"No, not anymore, now I'm Penny. You are an orphan who destroyed a rainbow factory!" said the imposter and she laughed mockingly.

"Since we're alone, I guess I can tell you the whole story considering you woke up inside a hospital and, probably, you're asking why a deer has taken your place!"

The fake Penny started to tell the story.

"My real name is Sandy; I'm an orphan and I come from a faraway country. I grew up in an orphanage but life was hard it was so hard that I escaped when I turned twelve; moreover, no family adopted me. I wandered town by town for days in search of food, shelter and a family but with no success, but everything changed when I got here!"

Sandy made a short pause in order to take some breath; she reached the climax of her story.

"One day I was wandering around Elmore Park when I saw you with a blue cat sitting on a bench. To be fair, I wasn't sure what creature you were supposed to be but I was utterly surprised when I realized that we had the same voice and antlers!"

"You were a mysterious and also an interesting creature, even more when I discovered your shape-shifting powers. I still have no idea why you have such power but….I felt that could become handy to me. I thought for hours and I had a brilliant idea. I started stalking you and soon I discovered where you live, which school you attend, your friends…and in few days I learned your life style and everything!"

"Only one thing I had to do: the exchange!"

"I passed several hours to find a way to ultimate my plan but with no success. The exchange was harder than I thought; it required a specific place and time, I calculated every circumstance but with no luck. But, one day, the opportunity finally came. I have to thank you for that. I saw you entering inside a rainbow factory and you started to destroy everything for no reason, apparently. You destroyed a big machine that exploded. The explosion was so big that you burned and lost your antlers. I heard you crying from an opened window and so I climbed and I went inside. I covered you with bandages and I brought you to the hospital. I turned back home, your home, and I met your boyfriend. When he asked what happened to my aspect I just replied that was my new transformation. He trusted me and he looked very excited, he said I was the prettiest creature in all Elmore. Same thing I did with your parents and they trusted me as well. Even your friends do believe that I'm you shape-shifted into a deer!"

Sandy arrived at a conclusion.

"Now I have a house, parents, a boyfriend and, most of all, an ordinary life. You have nothing except that little bit of life left!"

Penny started to shake her body from her bed.

"I wouldn't get off the bed if I were you! Those machines are the only thing that keep you alive!"

Penny couldn't take anymore.

"You…..devilish… creature…."

Sandy laughed mockingly again.

"What? Me…evil? What about you? You destroyed Gumball's house and a car once; you also turned your classmate into stone, that's right, Gumball told me that. Just yesterday I discovered you destroyed a factory because you have been kicked from the cheerleading squad. You are the devil!"

"You…..stole….my….life….! I'll…..take…..it…back!"

"Are you sure? You're inoffensive, you have no powers, yes, looks like you can't shape-shift without your antlers, maybe those were the source of your powers. In addition, no one recognize you as Penny without those. The doctors say that your health is critical although stable. You'll probably die here and no one will know the truth!"

"No….you wrong….you won't fool them for…."

Suddenly the electrocardiogram started to play a noisy beep: Penny suffered a heart failure.

Sandy called the doctors and they quickly entered with a defibrillator.

"Stay back!" said a doctor putting Sandy away.

"I'm leaving; I hope you'll save the baby!"

"Leave it to us, now please go home Penny!" said the doctor zapping the baby.

Gumball was waiting for her.

"So? What happened?" asked the cat.

"The baby had a heart attack but I'm sure he'll be fine!"

"What he did tell you?"

"Nothing special, he just thanked me for saving his life!"

Gumball and Sandy left the hospital while Penny was slowly regaining consciousness.


	5. The escape

The escape

"Pew! That was so close!" said the doctor after saving Penny from her heart failure.

"Hdkortdsgg…..!" said Penny, the heart attack made loose her voice.

"You should stay here until you'll get better!" said the doctor leaving the room with his group.

Once alone, many thoughts began to wander in Penny's mind, especially Sandy's words.

Was she really an evil creature? Was her current state a consequence of all her wrongdoing?

Suddenly a series of memories began to torment her.

When she destroyed Gumball's house, the Wilson's car. When she turned her classmate into stone, and now when she destroyed the factory. The people running off and screaming, the fire, the smog, the devastation. A sense of sorrow filled her. However, it was too late for sorrow. Now she is in a hospital, unable to move, to speak or to regain her health. Her life stolen from a rival and it was all her fault.

"Please…." She thought.

"If I did something wrong, please I ask forgiveness!"

Penny felt tired and fell asleep.

She didn't know how long she slept but, once she woke up, she wasn't in the intensive care unit anymore. She was sleeping on a bed in a first floor room of the hospital; in fact, she felt a felt a pleasant wind coming from a small window. Penny realized that her body wasn't connected to any machine. A nurse was standing before her as she was waiting her awakening. She talked as soon Penny opened her little red eyes.

"Great news!" she said.

"Your medical condition is slowly improving. You improved so much that we've resigned you from the intensive care unit. You'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow we'll remove your bandages, so, sleep well!"

It was a good news.

"If only I could reach the window…."

Penny tried to get off the bed, but she fell down with a "splat".

She realized that even her wings were bandaged and that won't allow her to flutter.

She tried to stand up but she couldn't do that without feet.

Discouraged, Penny turned to her bed. It was hard but, at least, Penny managed to climb on her bed. That would be pretty easier if only she had her hands again.

She lied and tried to calm down and take a sleep. She wondered what Sandy was doing with her boyfriend or her family. She remembered the promise she made to Sandy: she would take her life back.

Hours passed, day became night. Penny was sleepless but she managed to close her eyes and calmed down.

She dream to save Sandy from Gumball and take back her life. She felt strong, like if a great energy was flowing in her body.

She woke up. The great sensation of strength was still in her body. She felt something wrong in her head, like if someone put a hat on her. She touched her head with her tentacles. Her antlers: they grew back.

She looked around: no one was coming. Outside the window the sun was rising.

An hour later the nurse entered, she has a pair of scissors.

"All right kid, the time has come!" she said.

The nurse dropped the scissors as she noticed the empty bed. The window was open and bandage remnants were lying on the floor.

Meanwhile, a creepy antlered flying creature was flying above Elmore.

"I'm coming Sandy!" said the creature.


	6. The numb

The numb

 _Fitzgerald's house, Tuesday 03:30 p.m._

"Dear, I'm worried!" said the big moose-antlered peanut-guy.

"What's wrong Patrick?" asked Mrs. Fitzgerald.

"Don't you see our daughter Penny is acting strangely lately?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's keeping that form for days without change!"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, I just wonder why she's still a doe, you know that she changes her aspect depending by her emotion….."

"It means that she's no longer unstable!"

"Do you think that she fully mastered her powers?"

"Perhaps!"

Patrick recalled the last time when he saw her daughter has a "fairy" form.

"Remember the day before she turned into a doe?"

"Oh yes, it was a bad day for her!"

"Right, she was kicked from the cheerleaders. When she went back home she was so upset! After dinner she went out and I was worried for her: I was sure she was going to do something nasty!"

"Yes but…"

"She came back home with a new aspect. She said she was going to the forest to vent her anger when, suddenly, she met a deer. That animal fascinated her so much that she got a great idea, so she tried hard and she tuned into a deer with arms and legs. They kicked her from the cheerleaders due her awkward look, but with her new appearance, she would be reinstate!"

"In fact, she has been reinstated in the cheerleaders this morning. The coach said that was one of the greatest performance he ever saw!" said Patrick's wife.

"Yes, our daughter is stable and pretty now. She's pretty changed, still…."

Patrick quitted the conversation and climbed up the stairs.

Sandy was doing her homework when Patrick knocked at her door.

"May I disturb?"

"No dad, please come in!" answered the doe turning her head.

They looked at each other for a second that seemed an eternity.

"Is your present ready?" asked the moose-antlered peanut.

"Gift what present?"

"You know, for the birthday!"

Sandy had no idea of what birthday Penny's father was talking about, but she couldn't stay quiet or her coverage would be wasted. She tried to guess.

"Oh yes, the present for my sis's birthday!"

"….exactly!"

Sandy took a sigh of relief.

"So what are you going to write on her birthday card?"

The question sounded silly to Sandy.

"Well….. _Happy birthday lil Fitzgerald_!"

"That's it? Just lil Fitzgerald?"

The situational was getting awkward.

"Yes, why?"

"I think you should write your sis's name inside the birthday card!"

"Oh, sure, why not?"

"You know your sis's name?"

Sandy nodded.

"Then what is her name?"

Sandy realized it was a trap. She took Penny's place without knowing her sis's name. Her father must have suspected the mistaken identity. What she was supposed to do? Seconds passed and Patrick's suspect was getting higher.

"So you don't know your sis's name? That's strange: you always know!"

Sandy had to find an explanation.

"Well, looks like I lost some memory. It must be a side effect of my new transformation!"

The theory looked credible but Patrick looked not completely convicted.

"I'll leave you to your duties!" said Patrick leaving the room.

"Yes, daddy, come back anytime!"

Patrick turned to his wife; she was still sitting on the couch.

"So?" asked when her husband sat on the couch with her.

Patrick took some courage to give the sentence.

"I think my suspicions were correct!"


	7. The intruder

The intruder

 _Elmore General hospital, Tuesday 04:00 p.m._

"It is bad!" said the doctor.

"that baby wasn't supposed to be there! Who dismiss it from the intensive care unit?"

"Me, doctor!" answered the nurse.

"How could you? That baby wasn't ready!"

"It looked fine, so I moved it from the basement. I was so sad seeing him in a place without sunlight!"

"We have to find him. His medical conditions are unstable without the machineries!"

The doctor peeked outside the window.

"Mustn't be far! We have to bring the baby back soon, or else…."

"Or else what?" asked worried the nurse.

"He will die!"

 _Fitzgerald's house, Tuesday 04:00 p.m._

"Open this door!" said Penny before her door house.

"Who are you?" said her mom from the other side of the door.

"Mom, it's me, Penny, your daughter!"

"Impossible, right now you are in your room doing your homework!"

"Mom, that girl is not me, she's an imposter, kick her away!"

"No, you just go away!"

Mrs. Fitzgerald turned to the couch.

"Who's at the door?" asked Patrick.

"Just a crazy guy pretending to be our daughter!" said taking a sit.

Penny had to find another way to enter home.

Sandy remained alone. What she was supposed to do now? Patrick, looks like, discovered her mistaken identity with Penny and, eventually, all Elmore would know the truth.

She had to escape. Where? She had no idea! Although she ran out all the supplies that she took from the orphanage. Should she steal some food from the Fitzgerald? It was an idea but Sandy had no heart to do such mischievous thing to a family which kindly hosted her as a daughter. Was she supposed to steal some money from Penny's piggybank? She may never be back home but, somehow, Sandy wasn't even able to do that. All she was supposed to do was to return in her orphanage. She took the decision; she opened the window in order to escape from the house.

Maybe she had to write a letter before leaving.

Sandy took a piece of paper and a pen:

" _Dear Patrick and Mrs. Fitzgerald,_

 _I'm not your real daughter. Penny is, injured, at Elmore General Hospital. She destroyed the rainbow factory and now she has burns by the flames. I don't know if she'll ever be able to return home by her own. As for myself, I'll return to the orphanage which I escaped. Thank you for your hospitality._

 _My greatest apologizes._

 _Sandy Williams._

The letter was done. Sandy asked herself when Penny's parents were supposed to read it. Maybe after her escape would be the best moment. Sandy would run away from the window right now and the parents would find the letter shortly after. It would be fine.

Sandy was carefully leaving the letter on her desk when she heard a weird noise coming from the window.

A small gecko was climbing inside her room. Sandy was about to kick it back when she noticed the antlers on the gecko's head. Suddenly the gecko transformed into a weird yellow-orange glowing creature with antlers and wings. It may looked like an ugly fairy but its oversized round head gave an impression of a light bulb. It was Penny.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sandy while the "fairy" was trying to get up.

"Were you supposed to stay at the hospital?" said Sandy but Penny was still trying to get up; she seemed exhausted for the long flight.

"Sandy….(cough cough)…" said Penny which started to flutter; she looked like she wasn't completely healed.

"I swear…..(cough)…I'm going to…(cough)…take my life…..back!"

Sandy wasn't displeased.

"Well, what a coincidence. I was about to leave; your father distrusts my identity so you can take your life back!"

Penny didn't look satisfied.

"No….(cough)….you stole my life, I can't let you go so easily…..(cough cough cough)!"

"I'd go back to the hospital if I were you! Seriously, you're not healed!"

"Penny!" said a woman voice downstairs.

"What is it?" answered Sandy.

"There's Watterson at the door! He wants to see you!"

That wasn't good. If Gumball would see his girlfriend with Sandy in the same place he would discovered the mistaken identity. It wasn't the right moment for that.

"Gumball!" said Penny.

Sandy stopped Penny.

"I'm too busy right now, send him away!" said Sandy covering Penny's mouth with her hands.

"Penny, he has something very important to tell you!"

Sandy had no choice; if she would act strictly, her boyfriend would take it badly.

"All right. Bring him to me!"

Despite the situation, Penny couldn't shape-shift into a monster in order to free herself from Sandy's grip: she was too weak. Gumball was arriving and Sandy had to find a solution.

"Hi Penny!" said the blue cat to his girlfriend all alone.

"Hi Gumball!" said Sandy.

"What are you doing?"

"I was studying. I'm sure you have a lot of homework to do too!" said Sandy in an attempt to make him go away, but Gumball stood there confused.

"Penny, don't you know what day is today?"

"It's Tuesday!"

"There's school's prom today. Do you forgot? We talked about it the last week!"

Sandy wasn't aware about that, she wasn't at Elmore last Tuesday.

"Oh yup, the prom! Sorry I was too busy this week that I forget!"

Luckily, Gumball wasn't bewildered about that.

"The prom starts at 17:00 p.m. do you have a dress?"

"Ehmm…..no!"

"Don't worry, I'll help to choose one in the mall!"

"Oh, thanks!"

"No problem, see you downstairs!"

Gumball was walking out the door when Penny was slowly sneaking outside a toy box near the window where she was hidden.

"Gu-gum…!"

Sandy immediately put her back inside the box.

"Yes….? Did you said something?" said the cat turning his head back.

"Ehm….I love you!" answered Sandy.

Gumball smiled and turned on his steps.

Penny tried to sneak out from the box again. Sandy, put her back inside and, this time, locked the box with a locker. Gumball turned his head again.

"Penny?"

"Yes?"

"I love you too!"

When the blue cat was gone, Sandy talked to Penny.

"Here's my plan, you stay here while I'm at school. Don't worry I'll free you once the prom is over!"

No answer came from the box. Sandy took her letter and went downstairs.


	8. The hero

The hero

 _Fitzgerald's house, Tuesday 05:00 p.m._

It was time to go at school.

Patrick Fitzgerald took Mr. Cuddles from his cage.

"What are you doing?" asked his wife.

"You'll see it by yourself!"

Mrs. Fitzgerald picked her little daughter and they went to the school prom to assist their older daughter.

Meanwhile, Penny found enough strength in order to free herself from the toy box. She shape-shifted into a giant crab and destroyed the box.

She turned immediately into her "fairy" form; the transformation took a lot of energy from her.

After she slept inside the box for one hour in order to regain some strength, Penny recalled Gumball's words. There was a school prom today, no, right now. Penny started to imagine what Gumball was doing; He'd have danced with Sandy under a romantic music, he'd have romanced her and kissed her.

"Kiss?"

Penny had a vision of his boyfriend kissing that girl.

"No, that won't happened!" thought her.

Penny tried to reject that vision but it was no use. She had to do something.

She looked around her house; Penny noticed that no one was at home. Maybe they were at school already.

Even Mr. Cuddles wasn't inside his cage, and that was odd.

She had to go, there was no time to waste. The entrance door was locked, so she turned to her room. She opened the window in order to get out. Before leaving, a small newspaper clipping framed on the wall caught her eye. The clipping had a picture of Sandy smiling at the reporter in the Elmore's general hospital. The clipping headline read: _"Local heroine saves baby from fire!"_

Penny started reading;

" _This afternoon a fire crash devastated Elmore's rainbow factory. Among the frightened cries of the workers there was also that of a child stuck in the building. Many people were afraid to go back in and save it for not being killed, but a little girl, named Penny Fitzgerald, has bypassed the obstacles and sneaked into the factory to save the infant. She took him, medicated him, and taken to the hospital where he has been placed in the intensive care unit. Elmore's mayor reported to be deeply moved by the act of the heroic girl, and awarded her immense courage with a medal. Now whole Elmore loves her. Her boyfriend, Gumball Watterson, claims to be very proud of her."_

Penny found the gold medal on her bookshelf. She also noticed a strange trophy. It was a trophy that she never saw and never won. Some words were engraved on the plaque:

" _Best cheerleading performance: Penny Fitzgerald"_

According to the date, Sandy won that trophy last Monday: yesterday.

There was also a picture next to the trophy. It portrayed Sandy as a cheerleader with a pair of pons in her hands and a cheerleading suit.

Penny made huge efforts in order to hold her tears. Sandy was already beautiful and, as cheerleader, she looked even prettier. She looked at the photo. She looked that pretty deer that she wasn't, the body that would be never hers.

Sandy was prettier than her, Penny couldn't deny it. She could not be helped. Penny had to admit it, Sandy was a cute, sweet and brave anthropomorphic doe, and she was just a creepy, unstable, nasty and catastrophic "fairy". A tear started to run over her eyes, but there was no time to cry; the vision of Sandy kissing Gumball returned to haunt Penny's mind. She turned back to the window. Suddenly she felt a pain on her body. Her heart was slowing down its beats. She looked herself to the mirror: her glowing light was starting to fade. She needed to return to the hospital, but the kissing scene was still haunting her mind. She summoned all her remaining forces and she flew out of the window.


	9. The dragon

The dragon

 _Elmore Junior High, Tuesday 05:10 p.m._

Sandy wore the dress inside Penny's locker room.

"Oh Penny, you look…..beautiful!" said Gumball when Sandy showed her stylish dress brought from the mall. She looked pretty.

"Thanks!" said Sandy. Even Gumball looked cute with his little smoking.

They entered to the school gym holding each other's hand.

The gym was, almost, full. Every Elmore Junior High schoolchildren was there. A small stage for the music was set on the wall; Miss Simian and the Principle Brown were close to it.

All around, the schoolchildren were eating some snacks and drinking some punch from the tables.

Darwin, wearing shoes and bowtie, was unsure of which girl he would dance with: Sarah, Rachel or Jamie.

"Want some canape?" asked the blue cat.

"No thanks!" answered Sandy.

"Some punch?" always asked the cat holding a glass of punch.

"No, I'm not thirsty!"

"You look nervous, is there something wrong?"

Actually, Sandy was worried about Penny. She was the only one who could ruin her plan. She tried to reject the vision of her bursting into the gym and shout: "Hold on! That girl is not me!"

She hoped she was still inside her toy box at home.

She also had to find a way to escape from Elmore undetected, but, the party was on and she preferred to think about later.

The musicians began to play. Whole gym was invaded by disco music.

"Shall we dance?" asked Gumball.

"All right!"

Everyone danced, except those who couldn't.

Guys like Tina, Wasaby and Carmen could only attend because they hadn't hands or feet in order to dance.

"That's the part I hate the most!" said Carmen.

"I could dance if my hands weren't that small and my feet that big!" said Tina T-Rex.

Hector, obviously, was absent: he was too big.

After ten minutes of crazy music, the Principle Brown spoke at the microphone.

"And now a song for lovers. All the couples are invited to the dance floor!"

Soon all the couples began to dance while the musicians started to play the romantic song.

Sandy looked beautiful under the light of the glass ball hanging on the ceiling.

When the music stopped, the couples had to give a kiss.

Gumball's mouth was reaching Sandy's lips when an earthquake struck the school.

A huge and scary red dragon busted through the walls.

Everyone was frightened except Sandy that noticed the antlers on the dragon's head.

Gumball didn't notice the dragon's antlers (also all the others) but he kept calm; that dragon looked somewhat familiar to him.

Quickly the dragon took Sandy and flew away.

"HELP!" screamed the doe.

"Hey, you, come back here!" said Gumball.

"Yes, get your paws out from our Penny!" said Carmen.

All Elmore Junior High schoolchildren started to chase the big dragon outside.

"Let's arm ourselves with stones, don't let that dragon run away! Careful to not hit Penny!"

"I'll call the police!" said the Principle Brown.

Meanwhile Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald (with her younger daughter) arrived at the half destroyed school gym.

"Guess we arrived a bit too late!" said Patrick holding Mr. Cuddles in his arms.


	10. The gift

The gift

Sandy screamed: "Leave me alone! Leave me alone!" but the dragon wasn't listening.

Penny was already busy to avoid the throwing stones. Some stones hit her but they didn't make much damage.

Suddenly the dragon had to make an emergency landing. A terrible pain forced Penny to free Sandy from her grip.

Sandy fell on soft grass while Penny crushed into several trees before taking back her default form.

"Penny!" were the screams of the people desperately looking for her.

Sandy also heard police cars sirens looking for her. The worst was over; everything was finally come to an end.

"Penny, Penny, Penny…..!" screamed the crowd looking for her.

"I'm here!" said Sandy weaving her hands.

A feeble voice came behind her.

"Sandy….!"

Sandy turned her head back. It was Penny.

Sandy gave a look at Penny's body. It was full of wounds and her glowing light was weak.

"Sandy!" said Penny once again. She sounded desperate.

"What?"

"Sandy….please…come here!"

"No way! You can't fool me! You will kill me!"

"No, Sandy come here….. it's important!"

Sandy slowly approached to Penny.

"Sandy… hurry…..the language…..is leaving….me!"

Sandy grabbed Penny, her glowing light was getting weaker.

"Please….make me a promise!"

"What promise?"

"Gumball…. (cough) promise me….. you'll love him, please….he's such a cute and kind cat!"

Meanwhile the others came and found Sandy. She was grabbing something.

"Please stay aside, it may be dangerous!" said a donut-policeman to the crowd.

"My parents….my little sis….please promise me you'll love them too!"

"Why are you tell me that?"

"Because you're going to take my place!"

Sandy was incredulous.

"Why? Why me?"

"Because Elmore needs a hero!"

"But I'm not a hero!"

"But these people believe that you are. I read your newspaper clip in my room. I saw your medal, your trophy, your…. picture as a cheerleader!"

"But I stole your life!"

"But you didn't have to save my life from the burning factory. But you did!"

"What do you mean?"

"Think for a moment…. If I…..(cough) died in the factory you still would be able to steal my life!"

Sandy realized that Penny was right. Nothing would change if Penny died in the factory, her body would burn in that place and would turn into ashes.

"So, why did you save me?" asked Penny.

"Well….because I owe you a favor. When you burned down that factory, you gave me the occasion I was waiting for! Still…"

"…..I can't take your place. Your father, Patrick, suspects that I am not his daughter!"

"Why?"

"There are many things that I don't know about you: your mother's name, your sister's name and her birthday…"

"I….(cough) could tell you these things, but, I have a better idea!"

With all her remaining strength; Penny pulled her right orange tentacle and stick it inside Sandy's nape.

"Ah…" said Sandy and she felt a strange felling.

 _Suddenly, Sandy was in a clinic. She saw an antlered little creature wrapped in the arms of her mother._

" _Oh Patrick, what a beautiful creature we did!" said the mom._

" _You're right Natasha! How should we call her?"_

" _Let's give her a nice name!"_

" _How about Penny?"_

" _Oh, Patrick, that's a great name!"_

Sandy was a bit confused.

"What are these visions?"

"They are not visions. They are my memories!"

Sandy realized that Penny was passing her life to her.

Sandy saw Penny grow up, learning to walk, to talk, to call mom and dad, to say "welcome" to her little sister when she was 8. She also saw her talking to Gumball for the first time.

" _What do you mean with "I eat peanuts"? I'm a peanut!"_

The day where she broke her shell, the same where she had her first kiss with Gumball.

" _I love you!" said Gumball._

The day where she was kicked from the cheerleaders and when she got rescued by Sandy from the rainbow factory.

Sandy lived Penny's live in less of sixty seconds.

"That's it, now you….(cough) know everything about me!" said Penny taking off her tentacle from Sandy's nape.

"Cough…cough!" Penny's cough was so bad that she puked blood.

"I must taking you to the hospital!"

"My parents…..are they here?"

Sandy looked behind her and she saw Penny's family in the first row.

"Yes, they are here, in fact, all Elmore is here!"

"Promise me you'll protect them!"

"I'll promise!" said Sandy.

"And Gumball…. Promise me you'll love him!"

"I'll promise!"

"Well…that's all…I…..had….to….."

"…say…." Penny stopped talking.

"Penny…..!?"

Sandy left Penny on the ground. Her glowing light was completely gone. Her body turned into dust and dissolved into thin air.

Sandy slowly reached the crowd that was waiting for her.

"Are you OK?" said the donut-policeman.

"Yes I'm fine!"

"And the monster?"

"He's gone! He'll never be back!"

"Fine!"

The police officer allowed Sandy to meet her loved ones.

"Thank God you're fine!" said Mrs. Fitzgerald hugging Sandy.

"Yes, everyone is happy to see you. Especially Mr. Cuddles!" said Patrick.

Patrick passed his tarantula to Sandy's hands.

That was a trap. Sandy knew that Mr. Cuddles doesn't like strangers, and he would bite her injecting his poison; if the tarantula bite her, Patrick would have the confirmation that Sandy wasn't his daughter.

Sandy took a deep breath and tried to access to Penny's memory.

According to her memory, the only way to keep cool Mr. Cuddles was to rub his belly three times.

Sandy rubbed the tarantula's belly for three times and, after some minutes, he didn't bite her.

"Thank you Penny!" thought Sandy relieved.

It was a huge surprise for Patrick.

"Let's go home, you'll probably be tired after this!"

"Yes mom, let's go home. I have to prepare the present for my little sister's birthday Stephanie for the next week!"

"Oh dear, you remembered your sister's birthday!" said Mrs. Fitzgerald.

For how strange it looked, Patrick had to admit that girl was her daughter.

Before they returned home, Sandy met Gumball with all the Watterson.

"Oh Penny, you're alive. I'm so happy!"

Gumball kissed her on her cheeks.


	11. The rose

The rose

 _Fitzgerald's house, Monday 10:00 p.m._

It was a freaky week. Just yesterday, Sandy went to the hospital in order to solve the issue of the missing child. She said to the doctors that the child was fine and. She said an unknown family adopted him, and showed to the doctors a letter written by the baby (but it was written by her own after she destroyed her confession letter) that proves it.

"We are happy to see that! Now we can stop the research! Thank you for your help Penny!" said the doctor.

"Oh, no problem, bye!" said her.

Now she was studying at home.

"It's late, go to sleep!" said Natasha Fitzgerald.

"Yes mom!" answered Sandy.

She closed the book; she sat on the bed, tucked her sheets and turned off the light.

After two hours, when she was sure that everyone was sleeping, she got out of the bed.

She looked at the vase plenty of roses. They were a gift from Gumball, with a note: "Will you marry me once I grew up?"

Sandy took one rose. She put her clothes on and she went outside the window. At midnight, Elmore was such a quiet place.

Sandy walked up to a small wood. She stopped before a wooden cross that she built recently. It was the same place where Penny died, also, according to Penny's memory, the same when Gumball kissed her for the first time when she shape-sifted into a lone wolf months ago.

One week has passed since Penny passed away.

She put a rose near the cross.

"Farewell Penny!" thought Sandy.

"Your death won't be vain; I'll continue your life and realize your dreams as you wished!"

"But not only that; with my prettiness and with my stability I'll be more than you…"

"I'll be a new Fitzgerald…a better Penny Fitzgerald…..from now on I'll be…."

"…..the superior Fitzgerald!" she declared.

END


End file.
